Popped up on Craigslist for $20 a week or so back - head busted off and in pieces, pretty dirty. Figured what the heck - easy project, and something to tinker with while I was getting mentally prepared to shop my TZ that's been on the back burner for a while.
Guy ended up giving it to me for free - he only put a price on it because he was hoping somebody would "rescue" it, and not just part it out. I'm a sucker for basket cases
Game worked when listed, but died after he turned it on a few times as I was on my way over to get it...
Head reassembled with a fair amount of wood glue, screws, and patience. Kept popping the #1 breaker, so I traced it to one of the two bridges in the power supply - replaced both bridges while I was at it, and it was back to life...
My observations - no manual I can find for this beast, but has the schematic on the back that is similar to those shown in the other similar Brunswick pins. Has a "real" tilt bob mech. Board is similar to Aspen, but slightly different (one bulb not populated, and a jumper wire on the back). Slingshot and pop-bumper mech's appear to be plastic, but seem to work well enough; flipper mech's (independant) are metal - don't really look like early Stern however, and the coils are pretty small throughout. Playfield is particle board, with a fairly thick sheet (mylar? vinyl of some sort?) that contains the artwork that is glued over the playfield. Flat plastics have artwork as stickers that cover the plastic. Game has an attract mode (cycles through 5 lamps). Maybe 4 or 5 GI lamps on the playfield, and three in the head (flashers - uncontrolled type). Multiple tunes (perhaps 8 or 9 in all?) for various game accomplishments, including one for each of the 5 stand-up targets. All-in-all, not a bad little pin for a home version, and definitely better than the likes of Star Explorer. Based upon the "Alive" manual, I found a couple of test modes - one for a switch test, and one for testing the display - have yet to find a lamp test.
A few pic's below (big/hi-resolution)- I'll have a bunch to put up on pinwiki to complement the fine work Ken's already done there as I shop it out. Need to figure out what rubber I need.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus MPU.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus MPU Back.JPG
If the manual for this thing *is* floating around out there somewhere, I'd appreciate a link; I've had no luck finding one otherwise..
Then, once it's done - I get the big bucks for it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brunswick-Circus-Pinball-Machine-1980-/290708943270
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brunswick-Circus-Pinball-Machine-1980-/220984365857
Guy ended up giving it to me for free - he only put a price on it because he was hoping somebody would "rescue" it, and not just part it out. I'm a sucker for basket cases
Head reassembled with a fair amount of wood glue, screws, and patience. Kept popping the #1 breaker, so I traced it to one of the two bridges in the power supply - replaced both bridges while I was at it, and it was back to life...
My observations - no manual I can find for this beast, but has the schematic on the back that is similar to those shown in the other similar Brunswick pins. Has a "real" tilt bob mech. Board is similar to Aspen, but slightly different (one bulb not populated, and a jumper wire on the back). Slingshot and pop-bumper mech's appear to be plastic, but seem to work well enough; flipper mech's (independant) are metal - don't really look like early Stern however, and the coils are pretty small throughout. Playfield is particle board, with a fairly thick sheet (mylar? vinyl of some sort?) that contains the artwork that is glued over the playfield. Flat plastics have artwork as stickers that cover the plastic. Game has an attract mode (cycles through 5 lamps). Maybe 4 or 5 GI lamps on the playfield, and three in the head (flashers - uncontrolled type). Multiple tunes (perhaps 8 or 9 in all?) for various game accomplishments, including one for each of the 5 stand-up targets. All-in-all, not a bad little pin for a home version, and definitely better than the likes of Star Explorer. Based upon the "Alive" manual, I found a couple of test modes - one for a switch test, and one for testing the display - have yet to find a lamp test.
A few pic's below (big/hi-resolution)- I'll have a bunch to put up on pinwiki to complement the fine work Ken's already done there as I shop it out. Need to figure out what rubber I need.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus MPU.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17881908/Photos/Circus/Circus MPU Back.JPG
If the manual for this thing *is* floating around out there somewhere, I'd appreciate a link; I've had no luck finding one otherwise..
Then, once it's done - I get the big bucks for it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brunswick-Circus-Pinball-Machine-1980-/290708943270
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brunswick-Circus-Pinball-Machine-1980-/220984365857